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ETS =) A SAGA OF SPITE AND VENGEANCE Echoes in Time... = = 4 CHAPTER 1: CRISIS POINT... CHAPTER 2: THE FIRES OF FLAMEHEIT CHAPTER 3: THE SERPENT AND THE WOLF. 78 CHAPTER 4: SONS OF THE CYCLOPS....120 How to Use This Book. . 136 Datasheets : 137 (CHAPTER 5: CHAOS SPACE MARINES...138 Forces of the Chaos Space Marines. 140 Abriman z 142 Exalted Sorcerer. 43 Traangors an 4 Rubric Marines... 145 Scarab Occult Terminators 146 Magnus the Red 7 War Cabal. . 148 War Coven 149 Tzaangor Warherd 150 Sekhmet Conclave. 15 Abriman's Exiles 152 Rehati War Sect. 153 Armoury of the Thousand Sons. 7 156 Discipline of Tzcentch, 157 Sinistrum Discipline = 158 Heretech Discipline. 150 Ectomancy Discipline : 160 Geomortis Discipline. : 161 Forces of the Thousand Sons. E 162 Sons of Magnus 2 164 Thousand Sons Grand Caves 2 165 ‘Thousand Sons Tactical Objectives 166 Akar of War: Fury of the Storm. i 168 ‘Altar of War: Timeless Vengeance. 5 170 ‘Altar of War: The Quest For Knowledge... 1p CHAPTER 6: CHAOS DAEMONS. Forces of the Chaos Dacmons. - Pink Horrors. Blue Horrors i Brimstone Horrors ss Lorestealer Host. Z Brimstone Conflagration. 7 Omniscient Oracles. Heralds Anarchic Dacmonic Loci of Tzcentch. = Icons of Chaos. - Dacmon Legions of Tzcentch, Pandemoniad of Tzcentch, : Tzeentchian Warp Storm. Daemons of Tzcentch Tactical Objectives ‘Altar of War: The Rita 192 ‘Akar of War: The Schemes of Taeentch 194 ‘Altar of War: Paychic Equinox 7 196 Profiles. 7 200 PRODUCED BY GAMES WORKSHOP IN NOTTINGHAM Voronoi: wat of aon © Cope Cae orp ime 2018 a Zane og Wr Mga. Came Weg Spc ein, tok Waster "ican th ge “ip fon be rc an one pone hk oa adn emcee nen peel sia Cachan rattan aa Aaa ed tek ste ay Perea te Pan onan la poacher aed ee nd ames Wrhtop does m0 cand rm wy ln nr ag of Wo prin ner our a san spy ms at oe ee rs ea ‘Games Workshop Lid, Willow Rd, Lenton, Nouingham, NG7 2WS, gamesworkshop.com eT Cee ae ee ee eed notion of the downward spiral the Thousand Sons have ‘walked. None truly appreciate the depth of betrayal that sct them on their path. To those that face them, the Thousand a ae Rank upon rank march in sinister silence, their weapons spitting infernal fire as they shrug off direct hits from bolt and blade alike. To the Sorcerers that walk in their midst, the Rubricae of the Legion are faithful servants beyond ‘compare, living weapons to be used in arcane wars. Their warbands are often the foremost players in the ploys of ‘Taeentch, Architect of Fate and master of the cosmic game. “That great contest of souls has come to a crux point at the ‘close of the Alt Millennium. Nowhere is it harder fought than in the Fenris System, called home by the Thousand ‘Sone’ eternal enemies — the Space Wolves, warrior scions of the Primarch Leman Russ. “The events of the Horus Heresy are occluded by myth and legend. leis mid a fall half of the Legiones Astartes turned to the worship of Chaos over the course of those dark days, ‘cach following their Primarch into damnation. Many of these demigod primogenitors took the first stcpe towards ene aes ree ee ere Tes Pe ers eee ee ee ea eee tes ‘eychic colossus known as Magnus the Red. ‘When his Legion began to fall to a strange mutative flaw in ee ‘Empyrean with greater skill than any other Legion. 7 After the notion of paychic warfare was put on trial atthe Cecelia teeta eananeaeed edict that forbade the Adeptas Astartes from using Warp- ‘bor power. To a brotherhood of occult masters such as the Se ee ee and his sons continued their studies in secret. ges treachery. The Warmaster had cen sedced by the Dark a a Seer ees eee rennet a ee ers erent en er ne ee ee ee ed pie ee SS eee “Magnus, in his disgrace, chose not to defend his glorious city of Tizca — not until the screams of his sons grew too loud to ignore. When the Primarch brought his might to ‘bear the carnage was great indeed. It was too late; Prospero already burned. In his grief, Magnus was defeated in ‘combat with Leman Russ, but worked a spell at the last to spirit himself, his Legion and much of the city of Tizca away into the Warp. Yet their travails were far from over. As ‘they sought a ragged unity upon their adopted home, the Planet of the Sorcerers, the Thousand Sons succumbed to- the flesh-curse still lurking in their genes. Chief Librarian, Ahriman took drastic action. He worked a great rite, the ‘rubric, but it worked all to well. Though if saved his, brothers from mutation, it did so by transmuting their ‘mortal forms to sentient dust scaled within their armour. “Magnus was furious. He cast Abriman and his fellow exiles across the stars, the Legion broken. Now, they stand (Closer and dloser drew the hand of doom, moving ee eee ee ed already tearing itself apart with wars uncounted, a new ane a Sete eee eee ‘but by design. A series of complex machinations beyond Pe eee etd a et spread ruination and corruption across the galaxy, the forces of the Imperium were beguiled. False evidence and |hcinous illusion croded trust or inflamed ancient rivalries. ‘brothers. So Tzzentch has ever fought, spreading lies and sowing doubt so that even steadfast allies might eye one ‘another warily. Just as inthe darkest days of the Imperium, the forces of Humanity were divided by their greatest foe. Fe eee a re ae eee ns “This mass invasion could not have come at: worse time for the Sons of Russ. Accusations of deviancy had lately sprang up around the Space Wolves’ exploits, and not ‘without cause. The omens spoke true, and millennia-old legends had been proven sound. In a dozen war zones across the galaxy, the lost brothers known as the Wulfen, ree ‘The Great Companies took to the Sea of Stars once more, scarching the galaxy for signs of their mutated kin. Many ee ee eee ee es ‘Space Wolves touched by the outward signs of the Canis Helix had always been long of tooth and sharp of claw, ‘but the Walfen took this atavism to extreme levels. In appearance they were ar much Iupine beast as they were Pee ee eee the Chapter, and some spoke in the tongue of Asaheim. ‘Though many had misgivings ~ Harald Deathwolf amongst ‘them — the Wulfen were marshalled and brought to Fenris. SO eae ee eee Space Wolves against the dacmonic incursion. They proved ‘sound of mind in later parleys with the Wolf Lords, and eee er ee ee ee reequipped and inducted into the Chapter’s ranks. Ulrik the Shyer, trusted Wolf Priest and mentor of the High King. Logan Grimnar, welcomed the Wulfen as heralds of their long -disappeared primogenitor, Leman Russ. The priest ‘maintained that the Wolftime was upon them, and that the Primarch would soon return. Yet sill there were those Wolf Lords who harboured suspicions about the Wulfen. Worse, there were those outside of the Chapter that had been manipulated into secing the Wulfen as dangerous creatures of Chaos. The coming storm grew thunderous indeed. ee eg een ee ees een eee ae eee Dark Angels Chapter that watched their fellow Adeptus ‘Astartes closest ofall. The Dark Angels were no strangers to subterfuge, for they had long been haunted by their own, dark past, but the rivalry between their Chapter and the ‘Space Wolves was so ingrained over the millennia that none pea ee ae ‘When the Dark Angels investigated a Space Wolves attack ‘upon the world of Nurades, they intended to rendezvous with the garrison of Scouts they had left to watch over an 3 artefact from their Chapter’s history. The young warriors Ihad been slain to a man. Further inspection appeared to Lbetray the identity ofthe killers — not the creatures of the png es ee es ee into their own. The implications were disturbing indeed. Ce er ee eS eee fought against the Dacmon hordes. They did 20 not as ee ee ed ‘ago, and the uneasy respect that had grown between the (Chapters skirted the brink of scorn. They were Adeptus Astartes first and foremost, however, and against Chaos the ee ee eee ee eA ow” ee ee A GURSE UNCHECKED Many times did the agents of Tacentch leave a trail of misdirection in the path of the Space Marines. By subterfuge and misdirection, the Dacmon known as the Changeling widened the cracks of mistrust that had appeared between the Space Wolves and their brother ‘Adeptus Astartes. The Great Wolf and his champions were ‘embroiled in ceascless war against the Dacmon hordes ripping their way into reality, and there were none to refute the claims made about the Space Wolves’ fate. With the agents of Chaos walking the lands, even the legendary ea cee a ee ee ee ‘Wolves to overcome the vilest of foes. The combination saw hundreds of Dacmons banished from realty, but the most foul of their works had already been wrought. Though the ‘Space Wolves knew it not, the true enemy lurked within. See eee es a found the bestal side of their souls surge to the fore, driving them to ever more extreme acts of bloodshed. Some changed in body as well as mind, their forms altering to echo that of the lost brothers they had hoped to save. ‘Soon there was evidence of extreme genetic deviance in every one of the companics of Fenris “Those who had called the reappearance of the: Lost (Company a curse were being proved right. Questions soured into conjecture, and suspicions hardened into ‘conclusions. Astropathic choirs sang of secrets and lies. ‘With great and sombre slowness, the judgement of the Adeptus Astartes was turned upon the Sons of Rus. ‘The Great Companies returned to the Fenris System, the holds oftheir craft echoing with the howls of the Wallen. ‘An armada of Imperial battleships was inbound upon the ‘same coordinates. At the head of the flect was the Rock, fortress monastery of the Dark Angels. Soon after emerging from the Warp, that vast fragment of their home world. ee ee ee ere eee Iheads of the accused. The intent ofthe fleet's commanders ‘was to arrest, interrogate, and —if the fates were unkind — ‘make the Space Wolves pay for their deviance. Azracl of the ‘Dark Angels had initiated a crusade capable of wiping out Ce ee et ee et oe ‘watching from his forbidding tower in the Eye of Terror, found the echo of Prospero’s persecution most pleasing. His interlocking schemes were accelerating fast. een a eee reece the Fenris System, the Creat Companies found their a ee ee ee ee planets that orbited the star known as the Wolf's Eye had already been assailed by the dacmonic and the traitorous. ‘Valdrmani the Wolf Moon, home of the astropathic relay * station Longhowl, gave a distress signal that no true hero ‘could ignore. The ocean moon of Svellgard churned y ‘with Dacmon-spawn, its volcanic islands bastions of order ee end 7 the planet Frostheim, famous for its formiclable defences and irom-hard ice, was assailed by warbands of the Alpha a alls Most diabolical ofall fates was that of Midgardia. A proud a ee ee 10 toxic the popeilace had made its home im sprawling ctics tunder the planet's crus. Since the appearance of Warp storms in the Fenris Secor, that teeming civilisation had ‘been infested with noxious legions of Nargle Daemons. It ae eee eet ee ee Master of the Space Wolves, made harte —and he was not alone. At his side fought not only the Champions of Fenris, the mightiest heroes oftheir Chapter, but also the ae ae er eet a Se ee ee thunderbolt. With their dramatic counterimvasion, many ee Yet so strange was Midgardia's terrain that within a matter ‘of hours, Egil Iron Wolf and his Spears of Russ found Pe ee eg ‘every inch of ground they took. Logan and his champions, taking the fight below ground, ae eee ee eee architects of the planet's demise an alliance of four Daemon Princes known as the Infernal Tetrad. The (Champions of Fenris met these titanic fiends blade to ‘blade, only to be buried under tonnes of rock — the ee ee a eet eee eae ae ee er ‘of need, and all the while, the Imperial leet that held their ‘doom grew ever larger in the firmament. Dee ee ed eee ee a shifting Daemon of Tzrentch, had impersonated a slain ‘Dark Angels Scout in order to gain access to the Rock's i ‘the fortress’ vox seneschal. Ships from a dozen Chapters eee ee ee eee _judgement of the Space Wolves hung in the balance. “The Dacmon wearing the skin ofthe vox officer wove its ee ee eae eee eer es te ee Great Wolf, Logan Grimnar, had been confirmed as dead, and that his Wolf Lords were cther missing in action oF ateach other's throats, impotent in the face of the Chaos infection. The Dark Angels alone could restore order f0 the troubled Fenris System — where the gricvous influence Pere ee ene es Laer ane een ee een ee ee ‘considered the order forthe bombardment of the Fenris ‘System, and what i might portend. He gave it nonetheless. De a ee ‘tragedy fully appreciated it, the echoes of that which had ‘occurred upon Prospero were profound indeed. The Space Wolves were to be punished for their genetic deviance and Pe ee ee intolerant justice of the Emperor to Prospero in ancient days gone by. Itwas a delicious irony to the servants of poe ee eee ee THE FENRIS SECTOR The open reache actic north atthe spinward ay cle with monstre of the Fe Wolfs Eye, the Fenris describe by the Inquist find themsc a to the officially i tothe uated the Fenris te SUB-SECTOR sddon Gate. It is NAY the Arm: rntumn Solar pated border w be infest surus. A region known st as ula is the dof leath w EXIHA NUMOSIS Sree CNARLEZEIT SUB-SECTOR Fs Conan senile SECTOR STALE) CAWTINCTaEN SUB-SECTOR Scere ELYSIUM, Prana tate Seale. ys ‘ a ys ee | a , is “The tempers of the Imperial fleet's commanders were tinder-dry, and the entire Fenris System teetered upon the brink of catastrophe. Massive ships hung threateningly in the void, waiting to fall upon those worlds that harboured Daemons and smuutants — and where the taint of Chaos is found in great measure, the Grey Knights are never far behind. The bridge of the Dark Angels’ space-bound fortress with an cerie green glow. Upon a grand dais atthe bridge's monastery was colossal in scale. Its vaulted interior could _ front, arguments raged and terse orders were bitten out. A have housed a dozen space-capable vessels. Burtressed walls sense of destiny hung heavy in the air. Here, the fate of the were lined with statuary, below which shimmered complex _Fenris System and of the Space Wolves Chapter itself — hololith dataspectres that underlit the faces of stone stints would be decided forever. [Above it all was Supreme Grand Master Azrael, master of the Dark Angels. No other living Space Marine had such a deep understanding of that Chapter's twilight existence, swathed forever in the shadows of history - andl, some would say, stained with the mire of heresy [Azrael had at his side the InterrogatorChaplain Asmodai, as stern and obsessive as any who had walked the sacred corridors of the Rock, or Caliban before it. Asmodai was an expert in the art of rooting out traces of Chaos infection from those heretics hidden within the Imperium, but such was the nature and skill of Tzcentch’s agent upon the Rock's bridge that even he had not divined the architect of their woes. The Space Wolves were judged in their absence; under Azrac!’s orders none of the imperial fleet's officers were accepting the Wolf Lords’ vox-hails, nor opening their astropathie mind-choirs to missives from Fenris, The forceful personalities of the Adeptus Astartes clashed, every heated exchange threatening to ignite an internecine war that would have grave implications for the wider Imperium. The fires of strife were fanned at every turn, for amongst the warriors of the Imperium was a force of fsharmony embodied — the Trickster of Tzcentch, The dacmonic entity that had infiltrated the bridge crew, [known in the sagas of the Space Wolves as the Changeling, was in its clement. It had sown confusion and angst throughout Chapter serfand Space Marine alike. Posing as Vox Seneschal Mendaxis, the Daemon had formally announced to the Dark Angels that the Space Wolves hhad used the stronghold of Longhowl to open fire on the fleet belonging to the Grey Knights. This news, coming s0 soon after the pictthief footage of Dark Angels Scouts being slain by the Walfen, sealed the guilt of the Sons of | Russ in the minds of their prosceutors. The Chapter was irrevocably tainted, (One of the system's worlds, Midgardia, had already fallen to dacmonie invasion, Azrael concluded there was no recourse but to scour it clean with the killing fires of Exterminatus, ceven though there were stil Space Wolves upon its surface. The declaration was met with awed silence, but with Logan Grimnar missing, presumed dead, there were few with, influence enough to gainsay him, Into these fires of recrimination plunged Brother Captain Stem. En route to the Rock's orbit above the Fang, the Brother-Caprain had made common cause with Ragnar Blackmane — the two had fought hard to cleanse the Ramilies-class starfort Mjalnar of dacmonic taint. In aan urgent remote conclave with Azracl, they secured permission to come aboard the great spaceborne fortress of the Dark Angels. So it was that a Wolf Lord strede upon the flagstones of the Rock's inner sanctums for the first time in living memory. With Lord Blackmane was an Inquisitor by the name of Banist de Mornay, an elderly but mentally formidable member of the Ordo Hereticus. De Mornay had crossed paths with the Dark Angels before, and had his suspicions that the shaclow of Chaos was cast long across a great many of the Adeptus Astartes ~ the First Legion amongst them. ‘Though many of the Dark Angels upon the bridge assumed the Inquisitor was present to monitor and pass judgement upon the Space Wolves, in truth, de Mornay’s vigilance fell not upon the Sons of Russ, but those of Lion El Jonson ‘To their horror, Stern and the other warrior heroes that had approached the Rock to consult with Azrael in| person found that they were too late. The bombardment cannons of the Imperial fleet had already opened fire upon the planets under their gunsights. Midgardia had been subjected to such a brutal and extensive firestorm its surface was little more than a worldwide conflagration, Morkai’s Keep upon Frostheim had been blasted to rubble bya lance strike levelled by the calculating Iron Hands Chapter. The Fenris System was besieged by both foes and allies, and the planets and moons where the daemonic incursions were most apparent were already suffering grievous wounds under the crusade fleer’s onslaught. The war that Stern and Ragnar had come to stop was already in progress, rusted brothers at one another's throats. Everywhere confusion reigned, inflamed by the wrath of | the crusader and the defiance of the accused. On the vast hololith displays a the fore of the bridge, the dispositions of the Imperial fleet and the defensive citadels of the Space Wolves flickered and came into focus. The fate of the to rival Chapters hung in the balance, the ships of their fellow Adeptus Astartes all but silent asa suffocating miasma of doubt and despair threatened to erase millennia of hard- won brotherhood. Upon the bridge, the parley between traveller and commander was swift and intense. When the echocs of harshtongued speeches had faded from the Rock's bridge, i was Stern who spoke alone. As a Brother-Captain of the legendary Grey Knights, his words carried gravitas indeed. He spoke of Chaos, and those who would spread it. He had already judged the souls of those Wulfen he had encountered, and those of the warriors who had fought alongside them. He had found them sound. However, there was one upon the bridge of the Rock who did not belong, who was more than a hidden agent of corruption. He was anarchy incarnate. Stern pointed an accusatory finger at Vox Seneschal Mendaxis, and named hhim for the Dacmon he truly was. THE ENEMY WITHIN PILES LALIT The agent of strife upon the bridge of the Rock had expertly manipulated the rivalries and emotions of the Adeptus Astartes, playing upon their worst suspicions until their sabre-rattling escalated into open violence. Those worlds infested ‘with Daemons were now under bombardment from the Imperial fleet. Any hope for salvation was dwindling fast. Upon the bridge of the Rock, a piercing screech filled the incensescented air. Brother-Captain Stern cast an outstretched hand towards the tuniformed figure of the vox seneschal, Mendaxis, shouting a phrase of power that made the ears ofall who heard it ring. The resinous smoke that hung around the bridge parted, giving shape to the psychic attack as it hurtled towards its intended target. The vox officer screamed in defiance and slid aay with a serpentine spasm, but Interrogator-Chaplain, Asmodai was waiting close by. He bellowed his most potent litanies of hate with such force the Daemon recoiled as if physically struck. The false officer's flesh Fipped open to reveal a shifting, morass of pink-blue hide Trapped between Stern's psychic session and Asmodai’s fierce faith in thee Emperor, the impostor’ illusion came apart like cobwebs in a gale, and the Daemon beneath was revealed. Laughi of disaster that had been hiding, the Adeptus Astartes began to swell and grow. Long blue robes billowed, a vortex of Warp energy whipping around the creature as it raised four spindly arms from within its voluminous shroud. Its face remained hidden by a deep hood; many who witnessed its transformation considered this cerily, the architect a mercy, for the presence of a Daemon was a hideous blight con the sanity, and often a death, sentence even for those who The great vault of the bridge echoed loud as storm bolter fire crashed and boomed. ach bolt was transmuted to a harmless substance before ie struck, turning to sand, to ‘wine, o fitting butterflies with fractal wings. him!” showed Supreme Grand Master “Azra, his voice straining with tension. “The Daemon must be slain!” ‘Wordspawn. Iknew it,’ spat Ragnar nearby, reoving his metreclong chainsword Frsifang. 1 he loped towards the pink-skinned Daemons spilling fom a wound-lke breach. “These ones Sigh dirty, ut they die all he same.’ He rlled ‘shoulder ist under a spray of mutagenic flame and came up in a urging thrust, the ip of Frosfang chewing through the tnoal of a Daemon herald even 4s if sought to summon more ofits in. Ragnar was soon los to sight, Daemons crowing around him. ‘Azrael knew the creatures went to their deaths A humorless smile tugged at Arad’ is ashe raised ‘his gun and racked th slide. He opened fe, and the Daemons turned black, limbs tsted thin as tinder sticks. “I purge the rom te sight ofthe righleous,incanted Azrael ashe strode down the steps to one side ofthe bridge's command dais. T banish thee with the power oftrth.” x The Chapler Master rie his mic wespo, the Lien’ ile al ala ou ikon eee Cer faerie loan sical par (eal eee ee eae gee ee are neat tno mor harmful han acid’ ty. He hard it back, call mela te oat ane iia ep geen eit him. Ax he moved the Supreme Grand Maser sot the lsat ey te tg Cue ed Seed fighat pms alk aie Dae eee “To his right, Azrael saw Brother Captain Slern rum hard atthe Changeling, greatsword swinging. Ti cackling Pink Horrors interposed themselves to save their ‘maser, bul woere silly bisecled by the Grey Knight's ‘lade. Bubbling from their remains came grumbling Blue Horrors that snatched at Stern's logs as he charged forasards. The Grey Knight burnt them xoay with Blast of white mind fie and forged omavards Rarely slowed, Stern waded through the morass of Daemonespasin, his blade leelled to impale the (Changeling. With a Ubrust he ran the creature through, only Jor it to shimmer and disappear ~ il was merely ‘another illusion cast lo cover its retreat. The trickster- ‘thing was already far to the righ, disappearing dow a sconcelined corridor with the bubbling rmains of ta hulking guard-servitors lt im its wake ‘After it shone Azrael. Run it doxom and banish it, or ‘here wil be hel to ay” ‘With the Changeling’s summonings leading to daemonic incursions in several locations on the Rock, the Dark Angels and their allies scrambled to contain the Warp breach before it was too late. In the space of a few heartbeats, those who had accused the Space Wolves of malefic taint had themselves hecome the accused. ‘The bridge of the Rock was a scene of utter bedlam. With the Changeling covering its escape by summoning ‘Tacentchian Daemons into the path of the pursuing Dark Angels, the once sombre and doomladen atmosphere had been replaced by a deafening cacophony. Sereams of horror, shouted orders and detonating bolter shells mingled with the hoots, cackles and chanted incantations of the dacmonic invaders. The unmistakable scent of hypercordite and promethium choked the air, chasing away the subtler scent of holy incense. Chapter serfs died by the score. Exen Space Marine officers were laid low as they fought, imbs blasted to molten gobbets or torsos turned t0 slowing glass by the sheets of warpflame hurled their way Iedid not take the Dark Angels long to recover. As robed warriors ran in from archways and vestibules, a company of heroes assembled upon the flagstones of the bridge, bolters spitting death. They gave not an inch of ground, though many turned pale at the Warpspawn unleashed in their midst, and the fires of change crackling at their fect. Several squads knelt in firing lines in order to form living bulwarks against the strange invasion, their shoulders turned towards the foe. Their brothers ran close behind them in order to close the net. Wherever their shots hit home the pinkskinned Daemons would burst apart as if made of no more than food-shudge, only for two bluc- skinned forms to coagulate from their blasted remains, When those grumbling by-blows were put down by pinpoint fire, they too were replaced, each kill yielding a pair of yellow Daemon-mites that crept from the fires of their predecessor's demise. The Sons of the Lion fought as one, locking their fields of fire to squad after squad. Wherever the largest and most decorated Dacrnons incanted their strange spells, there the Deathwing struck Grand Master Belial’s honour guard charged into the fight as a force of nature, obliterating their enemies with powered fists, claws and hammers, and blasting, apart the stragglers with punishing storm bolter volleys. They left a trail of bubbling ectoplasm in their wake as they slew. ‘Azrael and his fellow heroes were long gone. They hhad realised that the thronging Daemons were but a distraction. The Changeling was the true mastermind, behind the attack, and it had te be stopped before it could bring further havoc to the scions of the Imperium. As they rnin, Stern made psychic contact with the warriors of his brotherhood, commanding them to gain access to the Rock by any means necessary and climinate the Daemon threat. Within minutes, a strike force of silvered paladins appeared upon the bridge of the Rock in a blize of strange light. By summoning and stepping through this psychic portal, they burned out many of the carefully etched wards that prevented actheric travel to and from the Rock’s bridge = much as the fallen Primarch Magnus once blew out the sorcerous defences of the Emperor's Palace in his urgent niced to tell the Master of Mankind of Horus’ treachery. “The Grey Knights considered it worth the cost. [A skiling laugh emerged from three of the Changeling’s mouths as it darted away into the Rock's labyrinthine corridors. So many of its plans had reached their apex, cach bearing the delicious fruit of irony, confusion and — best of all - treachery in the name of justice. It was being hunted by some of the Imperiumn's most selErighteous ‘warriors, each of whom was an expert in the field of destroying the works of Chaos, but it felt not a flicker of fear. Zealots were often the easiest to fool. The Changeling pushed ever further into the gigantic vessel, every twisting, corridor and rune-sealed vaule only adding to its delight. Close on its heels were Azrael and Asmodai of the Dark Angels, leaving the battle on the bridge in the hands of Belial and the Deathwing. They had little option, in truth Both Grand Master and InterrogatorChaplain knew full well that should an agent of the Dark Gods reveal the secret history of their order, the persecution of the wider Imperium would fall upon them too. ‘They were accompanied by de Mornay, Stern, and Ragnar Blackmane, each a powerful champion of the Imperium in his own right and bane of the Chaos hordes. As this strange band made their way through the hallways and chain-naves of the Rock, they encountered the traps and traces their quarry had left behind. They banished scrapcode glitches that turned machinery against them, repelled Daemon ambush, and discovered the bodies of those the Changeling, hhad impersonated when it had bound the Dark Angels so thoroughly into its plans. The remains of Vox Seneschal Mendaxis, of the comatose Interrogator Chaplain Elezar, and a dozen others besides formed a disturbing trail for them to follow. Azrael demanded that his alles stay close. To stray was to invite the wrath of the First, a Chapter known not only for their epithet - the Unforgiven ~ but also for their lick of forgiveness in turn. With his impostor’s ruse uncovered, the Ghangeling made haste for the cells in which these mysteries were held safe. Should the Dark Angels’ decpest sccrets be revealed to the Grey Knights and the Inquisition, the Chapter would likely be excommunicated. He had studied the nuanced whispers of the Inner Circle for some time since inveigling his way into the command structure of the Rock, and believed himself capable of locating their precious sanctums despite the myriad defences and bluffs that kept them hidden, ‘Afterall, he was an entity that had roamed the Crystal Labyrinth of Tzeentch; next to that impossible realm, a thoughtmaze devised by even the most gifted mortal genius was child's play. Sure enough, as the Changeling ‘wove his glamours, one code-scaled vault after another was opened with a hiss of servomnotors. With the Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes opening fire upon each others’ ships and raining fire upon the domains of the Fenris System, the Dacmon’s duty to Magnus the Red had been fulfilled Teas owed a litte fun. he Changeling-Chaplain strode onwards hmugh the shadows, flickering sconces tinting in the sheen ofthe Daemon's ‘asinour. The surety and authority in the creature's every slop was a beter shield than the sombre black ball plate ofthe Pnlerrogator whase appearance ‘he wore. No bssing servo-ulls her, ther pict: (haf lenses recording evens for laler dissection [No gormless vassals bothering him withthe sheer smundanity oftheir gaze. The First Legion valued Uhr secrecy above al else What a glorious irony it would be ifthe Dark Angels’ persecution of the Space Wolves, based on claims of deviance and the lain of the heretic, wer lo lead directly to User ou trial forthe very same charges. The idea of sling te loyalists against one another exposing their most carefully quanded secrets or allt se, was intoxicating. ‘Even now he could hear the lords and masters ofthe rival Chaplers coming after him with all the subllety of a runaway lank. Sifling ‘4 manic laugh, the Changeling pressed ‘his rovarius against a hidden rcess in «a marble archway. The portal slid open. Ie was time for change. Though Hlezar the Iterrgator-Chaplain strode into the vaaled doorway, Supreme Grand Maser Azrael strode oul. The tall, grim figure sBetched the symbol of the First Cirle in the i, and the sentry guns ‘beyond the doorway powered down. He entered @ massive antechamber, soundproofed calls ranged ‘along each wall. The smell of burnt vember and sandalwood resin could not hide the underying Scent of blood, nor could the sibilant chanting of dead-zyed excoriato cherubio silence the echoes of so many screams. T have come for the Fallen,” said the Changeling, Azraet’s noble lones giving his salement an air of command. ‘There is nothing left to arn,’ came a weary pantetation from the farthest chamber. The voice was scratchy and hoarse, bul a shred of defiance was underneath it sil. "You have taken everything we have to give “Dhings are diffrent this time, said the impostor ‘Azrael as he approached, presing the hill ofthe ‘Sword of Seets agains! a casellan-classgatelock ‘The porta canked heavily, and the lachars that formed a porculls in the mouth ofthe chamber ‘crackled a they disappeared. The shadowy figure Ieyond halfstood, his lan but muscular body as lense as a spring. “This time, nameless ons," said ‘Azrael, ‘give you freedom. Deep in the heart of the Rock were truths that would shake the Imperium foundation. The Dark Angels’ Inner Circle kept heretical secrets from their kin, and Azrael kept secrets from them in turn. What they hid, should it be made known, would spread like poison throughout the Adeptus Astartes ~ something the Chapter would prevent at any cost. AAs the Changeling had fled through the Rock, it had summoned more of its kin from the aether, thinning, the veil between realspace and the Warp with its strange sorceries. Hundreds of Dacmons of Tzcentch had been summoned into the fortress monastery, appearin without warning upon the bridge and at eight sig ‘marked locations besides. Their heralds had capered and carwheeled past runic countermeasures that would once have slain them in an instant, but were now burnt out hy the haste and force of the Grey Knights’ appearance within the Rock's bounds. Already the Daemon infestation was spreading. The Changeling had forescen the Dark Angels bringing every weapon they could to bear against the intruders, but that too was a path fraught with peril. Given each Tzeentchian Horror's ability to spit into two when slain, there was a chance that to fight the Daemon horde was to increase its numbers, and unwittingly spread \ger even further throughout the Rock. Grand Master Belial, assuming the defence of the fortress monastery’s main decks whilst his superiors ran for its hidden heart, set into motion a defence strategy he had long since perfected. Taking the centre of the bridge with his chosen few around him in a tight knot, Belial gave the order of the Shield’s Edge. In doing so he bade the rest of his company spread out as much as they were able. His Deathwing split up and fought hard to the very perimeter of the bridge, fighting not as squads but as individual warriors. Power fists crushed, lightning claws slashed, and thunder hammers pulverised. As the corpse of each Tzeentchian Daemon bubbled and began to yield two more, heavy flamers roared sanctified promethium fires, and the threat was burned away. Where a battle-brother fell, the others would compensate, fighting, on until they reached the edge of the vast chamber before turning around. Certain that no Daemon was behind them, the Deathwing fought to close their circle once more. Ie was then the slaughter began in earnest; caught between the crossfire of Belial’s squad and that of his outer circle, the Daemons were decimated. By the time the Deathwing's outer units had joined ranks with the innermost circle, only the mightiest of the infernal intruders fought on Even as Grand Master Belial fought he coordinated the actions of his brethren. The outriders of the Ravenwing were authorised to ride their steeds within the monastic corridors and chambers that formed each zone’s interstices, Though Grand Master Sammacl and his strike force were already bound for Fenris, those bikers he had left to guard the Rock sped after their Black Knight leaders on intercept courses that led them straight for the forward elements of the Daemon invasion. Corridors reverherated to the roar of finely tuned engines and the crash of bolter fire as running battles broke out between Ravenving battle- brothers and razorfinned Screamers, chainswords lashing, ‘out and explosions tearing apart ancient statuary in a contest of speed as much as finesse. Spark-trailing chariots, their sentient dise-bodies linked to winged Daemon beasts at their fore, bore Daemon heralds and looming Flamers along the corridors at breakneck specd. The riders hurled bolts of mutagenic magic left and right until guttering corpses lined the flagstones and the Rock's sconce-lined walls ran like water. Back on the bridge, the macro-holograph of the Rock that hovered above the Sanctum Strategiumn lit wit a profusion of alert runes. Battle had been joined in a dozen theatres, ceach fiercer than the last. Amongst all the carnage, a pair of small but powerful Dacmons rode their dise- steed unnoticed through the vaults, Though not even the Changeling knew it, there were those in the Dark Angels demesne who fought quite another battle altogether. SELL TTI LENTIL 1 fy om, dhnderhoaded sa! urged ira is CL. ) einer hanes shoing fr hs chariots eats with eed consieration. ‘These aches sro and sin the mind tha seks ko trl and cain in kind?” ‘The tiny Daemon's fellow scholar, Paris, gibered and grumbled to himself asthe disecareoed from stack to librarian slack. Dexlrous hands shot out and back again with blurring seed, snatching scroltsates from the chains that bound them o their ellos. Enough exhorting, brothermine. The Cyclops” call we can’t decline, Jus fine the time to mine the find?” “oki of Anes fed, to tame pls for uso find sored Xirat’p, sci acura as fe cas evel’ al eae alice ae ee a ale the enti unser, fons is partner Ahead, darn Iratherbownd books, dolce in the sae of tone gl, suc of tir shackles and fled ir ages rise tint paras. Par bypass with a from, but eh cle ral gan tthe woing di sdNcd o,gt . Nel od he time, ot nt the mind"‘And til we othe millstone’ grind, ‘fas it, kneel bec ol the Karo’: tor a han te jngl of Fig laced in a lth, ‘Make haste Beene eee ‘The Darmors Xira’p fumble. a slack of ancient serols before holding one high with a triumphant shoul. He chanted ‘he words of Shemn’s Shimmerstep, and a moment later the Daemons bres Uoough the far end ofthe librarium vault in a spray of malicloured light. Their power armored pursuers found only strands of ecoplasm and scallering parchment “floating dowmusard in the sudden stillness. “The deep dungeons of the Rock were cold and dank, moist with condensation and redolent of wet rack. Pressing forwards into the gloom were Azracl, Asmodai and their allies. Brother-Captain Stern guided their path, for despite the Dark Angels’ expertise in hunting fugitives, he alone was able to detect the Warp spoor of the Daemon. Azrael was not pleased when Brothers Aclios and Levariel, members of the Deathwing Inner Circle, barred his path into the lowest levels of the Rock with the claim that the Supreme Grand Master had already passed through a few minutes before. Azrael was all cold efficiency, explaining. quickly that they hunted a tricksterDaemon, and that the creature had taken his likeness in order to bypass their guard. He proved his claim by placing his eye against the arch’s Ocularis Veritas; as it chimed, the battle-brothers lowered their halberds and let the officers pass. As the fellowship drove on into the bowels of the fortress ‘monastery, Azrael assured Stern, Blackmane and de Mornay that he and Asmodai had the matter of the thangeling’s banishment in hand. There was no need for such a concentration of authority, said Azrael. In fact, those unfamiliar with the Rock's layout may slow its occupants down in their hunt — their efforts were likely better spent ing the greater war effort rather than pursuing a single daemon. Despite the gravity of Azracl’s tone, all thre champions of the Imperium elected to continuc the hunt. Though it galled the minds of the Dark Angels to witness it, the Changeling had used its perfect impersonation of Azrael to bypass every sanctumm-locked vault door, genecoded las barrier and autohypnotic cage that guarded th The wd sip fm aap Keic Warpspason spilled through the Rock's bridge, a riot of colour and movement agains! the dark greys and gren-blacks of the fortress momasterys architecture. They were mpellent to Behold, ‘an insu othe First. Bven to perceive them ssa lo fel a ar of the soul wither ad die. They wld be sent screaming back lo he Warp for the crime oftheir existence ‘The Deathwing were ready for the duty Azrael had placed upon ‘them. Belial had made sure oft. In many ways, they had been ‘ready for ten thousand years. Squad after squad hammered home a fusillade of bls, each smasereactive shell Blating @ Darmon ino a spasming morase (of Chaas energy. The erates tied to reform, zac sping in lava, bul they were cut down by a second vole, then a third, ‘until nothing was fl. Wend fre splashed acros the Terminator armour of soeral of Belial’ finest warriors, causing the ancient “ile lo buckle acd grow indo sirange shapes reminsscent of coral. ‘The Grand Master’ lip curled. Pathetic. To think that he had ‘once felt trepidation atthe ida of facing thse things in reality. With «tremendous snap of wings, something massive and feathered dropped from the vaulted ceiling, creching inthe tongue of eas. “Greater Daemon!” shouted Belial. “Knight! Take it dou!" the lower levels of the Rock. The occasional corpse marked the site of conflict against a guard that had not been fooled so easily, but there was no sign of the Daemon interloper. The heroes hunted their quarry through the great dark chambers designed to hold those heretical brothers the Dark Angels knew as the Fallen. As they passed along the processionals and interrogatus crypts, they found a once- blank portion of the wall open, its hinged door creaking gently and its hex-scals shattered. Asmodai lashed out in frustration with his erozius as he passed the claborate doorway, a shower of blue sparks in his wake. The Changeling would pay dearly for his work here. Further into the Rock the heroes delved, the gene-scal of the true Azrael enough to ensure their passage through ‘even the most redoubtable portal. A horrible suspicion had been haunting the Supreme Grand Master, and with ‘every direction given unto them by Stern, that feeling turned from a vague possibility to conerete certitude. The Changeling sought the nemesis of the Lion himself, The Supreme Grand Master was correct. The Changeling sought to release Lion HJonson’s arch-enemy, Luther of Caliban, from his cell, frecing the ancient warrior to tell the dire truth of the Dark Angels’ history to Grey Knight ‘The Fane nce’ finest wee elroy in motion tir massive ener maces rising and falling with meres efcieny. The ‘lanl Daemon sceched a gbhing of srang wllernce, its twos cooecing as string of sgl that wound downwards ke sea.snahxom the fn. The wond-erpentsanaped around the ‘wo cow Deiing,trancmting them inl leached shadows ‘rapped in some half dimension. The Daemon's laff. capped ‘tha culkin cla tore the hed from te thd withthe ease fa gourmet packing fre a grape. alia’ face set in a grimace as he Ieueled his storm bolle and ok the shot. The projrtile burst ino flame a yard from the ‘rat's head, but it distracted it fora second. The Grand ‘Master ducked under is swerping clas lo sink the Sword of Silence ino its knee, driving Ue ancient blade wp tothe hill With a cry, the creature snalched the Dark Angel up into the ai, its Beat yawning wide. Belial spat acid into it ee. ‘Thon the lat two Deathaing Knights sang ther glowing ‘censer-maces, one sviking the Greater Daemon fll in the chest, ‘the other in its gut. There was @ horrible scream, and the being ‘anished fom the material dimension entry. Belial il to the flagsiones with a dull crash, stunned for a second but unsharmed. He acepled the gauntlet ofthe Knight ‘Endracl, and was pulled to his fort. “As I said,’ said Belial, loading his storm bolle ‘Kill them all.” DETEIEY: LONE and Inquisitor alike. In the process, he had also sought 10 open the cells of the Fallen, each of whom represented a dark blemish on the honour of the Dark Angels Chapter. To the Daemon, the revelations they would impart to the rest of the Imperium would be sweet indeed, With the greatest concentration of cells within arm's reach, the Changeling found his way barred: not by the embattled heroes, but by a diminutive fig by white robes and carried a graven crozius in both arms. The Dacmon recoiled in horror, for the creature before it sre that was hidden entirely was anathema to its kind. The creature focussed its baleful slare, and the Changeling turned and fled With that, the Changeling’s confidence in his own schemes was broken. Fate, that most poisonous and fickle of serpents, was writhing out of his grip, threatening to close its fangs upon the Dacmon instead of dancing to his charmer’s tune. His flight throuagh the Rock led him not to safety, but into the path of the hunters that pursued him, Within seconds, the dark chamber was full of strobing, stand deafening noise. The Changeling called into being a chattering riot of Horrors, sendin them att against the heroes. He then took a variety of forms, sil cach the nemeses of one of his hunters, as overlapping chants and insults spilled from its nine mouths. The Wolf Lord Ragnar Blackmane confronted his old enemy Madox once more, gto rowling in frustration at havi Kill the Thousand Sons Sorcerer all over again. Azr awa hooded gunfighter with a giant's sword slung across hhis back. Last, but most terrifying of all, BrotherCaptain }crn was confronted by M'kachen ~ the towering Lord of Change that had proven his bane for decades. Fell laughter rang through the chamber, the Iunacy in its timbre so potent it thre though, the conjured phantoms were but a Daemon's des sgiven form. One by one they were overcome by the heroes that sought the Changeling’s demise. ;ened to overwhelm the senses. Ultimately, In its mounting panic the Daemon found his subterfuges unravelling. When Ragnar Blackmane darted in and drove his kraken-toothed blade, Frostfang, into the Dacmon’s robed form, it struck with killing force. The trickster’s form, dwindled, vanishing into a rife in reality as iit were tainted water swirling into a deep pit. The Changeling’s curse upon the Rock was finally over. Within hours, the hunters had regained the bridge, concentrating their efforts on expunging the Daemon infestation from the fortress monastery. Aware niow that hhe had been the victim of Chaos trickery, and that the eye of suspicion may fall upon his own Chapter as a result, Azrael ordered the Dark Angels fleet to stand down, They would cease their bombardments and instead patrol the wider Fenris Sector, focussing on hunting down and exterminating those appearances of the Thousand Sons inn other star systems. Those Chapters that had a preset in the Fenris System were soon to follow suit. The Space Wolves were not the true threat here~ that much had become abundantly clear ‘Of course, boomed the Cyclops, contempl giving an edge to his swords, “and you shall do the same. 33 MAGNUS THE RED “Though Magnus the Red has but one eye, few beings in the galaxy postess greater vision. The Dacmon Primarch’s ‘mame i rarely penned even in those texts that detail the ancient history of the Imperium, for to inscribe iis to risk falling under his nighomniacient gaze. Once, this greatest cof magi poured every iota of his being into the furtherance of the Emperors goals, Now he see the total destruction, of the Imperium, For long millennia this towering colossus thas plotted the downfall of the race that cast him out as a ttaitor and persecuted him unto the threshold of death Only now do fis plans near fruition, In many ways Magnus fell furthest ofall from the Emperor’ grace. Though he claims otherwise, the blame for hie gruesome transformation from demigod to Daemon, ‘can be laid at his own door. Willingly he took the path to ‘enlightenment that led through the chaotic tides of the Warp. Deliberately he chose to bargain with dark powers in “order to buy his sons a reprieve from their mutative curse. the tribulations of the Horus Heresy, Magnus” re estat eri eee eee dl but by surety in his own infallibligy. He was the wisest, the most learned and the most psychically gifted of all the Primarchs; how could his conclusions possibly be wrong? Te was by exploiting this vein of hubris that Tzcentch set his long and convoluted trap, widening the gulf between ‘Magnus and his brothers —and even between the Primarch, hhis gene-father, and his Thousand Sons. ‘When the Space Wolves came for Magnus they forced his hand. The consequences of the deal with the entities of the Warp, set in motion before Horus had even become ‘Warmaster, was hastened into fruition. With his power hase forcibly dislocated to the Eye of Terror in order to ‘escape the Space Wolves, Magnus used spells with the ease a mortal man might draw breath. He erected the eldritch ‘Tower of the Cyclops upon his adoptive world, the better to survey the Empyrean and realspace alike. His defeat at the >hands of Russ had broken him in mind as well as in body, the shards of his consciousness dispersed to the four winds. Even the Thousand Sons still bound to their Primarch’s ‘cause could not heal his wounded animus. There Magnus brooded, his body saturated with the power of the acther. For long centuries Magnus sought vengeance against the Imperium, and the Sons of Russ in particular. In M32 he struck at Fenris, having lured the Great Companies from their lair with false visions. He was denied at the last by the redoubtable might of the Fang and the wisdom of the ancient hero, Bjorn the FellHanded. Since that day ‘Magnus’ ambitions have grown ever deeper and more ‘esoteric. Now he sccks not just to conquer the Space Wolves, but to strip away all they hold dear, corrupt those ‘under their acgis, and visit upon them the same horrors his Iicloved Legion once witnessed. The conquest of the Fenris ‘System is just the beginning. The final defeat of the Space Wolves will be the jewel in the crown of a fargreater work — ‘one in which the Imperium itself is tipped screaming into a sca of anarchy from which there can be no escape. RAST ‘Across the galaxy the Thousand Sons used their fell magicks to manipulate the Warp rifts that had disgorged the Wulfen. ‘Within days of the Walfens’ recovery by the Great Companies, Rubricac were sighted wherever the bestial warriors had Ibeen recovered. The sorcerers of the Thousand Sons were using the Warp rifts to launch = galaxy-wide invasion. ‘The events before and after the moment the Imperial flet opened Fe ee ee ae ee eee ere a a ae eae Puta Lard ne eet ts ‘Suldabrax Warp rift to hover low over the principal faster. hab of Sycamo Truce. The citizenry, emaciated by the fast they undertook in penance for consorting with the bestia ‘Wulfen, are slowly transmuted into Tzaangors before being. snatched up into the ironclouds by the magicks of Aharyn’s ee pti AN ee Bjorn Stormwolf’s Creat Company leave the prison colony ‘of Atrapan, the shame of their berserker excesscs sill a ee a a ne ee or Fang, the Wulfen they recovered stowed within their holds, te eee ae nee ete a (Crimson Sons and instigate a riot that takes over Atrapan's the Exile Taramalakus leads his Thousand Sons to the ee ee ee ee See en ae ee ee left of Atrapan in the name of Magnus the Red. FIREMARK 5 5 ee ee spawned plague. Bran Redmaw’s Great Company extracts the Walfen they found fighting the possessed corpecs of ‘vapour-miners that once harvested the planet's resources. ‘The infestation is finally eradicated not by the Imperials, See ee eee tte aes smagister Euchaneschar Skhet. By invading from the Warp. ‘ft near Fimnir and burning away the taint of Nurgle from the mining platforms, Skhet guides his Silver Tower to the heart of Fimnir and takes it for his own personal ficfdom. FIREMARK 4 ee eee eee eet ee oa rifts across the Fenris System. They pave the way for ‘dacmonic invasion larger than any the sector has yet seen. Pata Lacy Leaving his post as scifclected castellan of Fenris after ‘consulting with Bjorn the Fell-Handed, Wolf Lord Krom (Captain Stern of the Grey Knights embattled against pe ea ee een ad heroes banish the Daemon after Stern disrupts its foul rites, intended to destroy the Grey Knights and lay the [blame at the Space Wolves’ door. Krom departs for Fenris BILAL EN ed ‘When they lear that Midgard is beset bythe infections ofthe Dark Gods, Logan Grimnar and Egdl Iron Wolf lead See So SSS See ee a ESS Sa STAVE ‘At first, Fenris scems to be the cye of the storm, untouched, 1by the Chaos invasions rippling across its vassal worlds. ‘Unbeknownst to Wolf Lord Krom and its defenders, the towerlike craft of the Thousand Sons are making their ee ee a et prec n ata AN Ld) Led by Azrael of the Dark Angels, the masters of the Imperial flect judge Midgardia, the fortress of Morkais oe ee er ‘Srellgard irrevocably tainted by Chaos. They open fire feet en eee eee ees ‘through history. eT eee pata Lee SOE en eg et etd to the Rock. Though his intrusion further complicates the pe ee eee spaceship, he uncovers the puppet master behind the ‘current strife — the Changeling. PUI EEd ee the Dark Angels realise they have been manipulated. “They order a ceasefire and concentrate on the purge of Pee ee eee es

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